Method of making t&#39;s



METHOD OF MAKING TS Filed Dec. 19, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet l /e 24 'l :1. Q

INVENTOR TfQfiZGSffQ/Z Zqyw" v BY 5 5422214" Ua'uu ATTORNEYS. a5

'June 20, 1939. J, H, AYLOR 2,162,870

METHOD OF MAKING TS Filed Dec. 19, 1958 s Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. James Hail Tgyzfoh JAZUW I 4 ATTORNEYS. 65,

June 20, 1939. H TAYLOR 2,162,870

METHOD OF MAKING TS Filed Dec. 19, 1938 3 Sheets-sheet 3 imniim llilllillllx V INVENT OR.

Patented June: 20, 19 39 UNITED STATES.

PATENT oFFics 2,162,870 METHOD OF MAKING TS Iames Hall Taylor, Oak Park, Ill.

This-invention relates to pipe fittings, such as T's and analogous articles, and has to do with a method of making such articles.'

\ My invention-is directed to a method of '5 ing Ts from tubular blanks, with expedition nd facility, in such manner that extensive reforming of the blank to produce the T is avoided. More specifically, I-provide a tubular cyiindrical'metal blank and reduce the end portions thereof in 10 diameter and to concentricity with an axis extending through the blank eccentric thereto; while restraining against inward radial movement a limited area of the wall of the blank, at one side thereof, thus producing a partially 15 formed T comprising a trunk or body portion having coaxial arms eccentric to the original blank and provided, at one side, with a protuberance, and then form this protuberance to a neck, completing the T. Further objects and advan- 20 tages of my invention will appear from the detail description.

In the drawings:-

Figure 1 is an elevational view, partly broken away, showing semi-diagrammatically apparatus suitable for practicing the method of my invention and, in section, a blank from which a T is to be formed, this view being taken substantially on line li of Figure 2; a

Figure 2 is a sectionalview taken substantially on line 2-2 of Figure l, certain parts being shown in elevation and certain other parts being broken away and shown in section;

Figure 3 is a view generally similar to Figure 2, illustrating the step of rolling down one end 35 portion of the blank, the latter being shown in section? Figure 4 is alview similar to Figure 3 but illustrating the step of' rolling down the other ends portion of the blank, the latter being shown partly broken away and in section; a

Figure 5 is an end view ofthe partially formed T resulting from the operation of Figuregi; Figure 6 is a sectional view of the partially formed T of Figuresd and 5 and of apparatus 45 for forming; the protuberance of this partially.

rmed T into a neck, certain parts being shown illustrated, by way of example, and more or less send-diagrammatically, one suitable form of apparatus. A disk ii of suitable proportions is secured upon one end of a shaft ll, coaxial with the disk, this shaft being mounted for rotation 5 in a journal member I2 and rotated in any suitable manner. A born 03 is provided at one end with a coaxial stud l4 secured through disk i0, coaxially therewith, by means of two. nuts l5 and i6 screwing uponistud l4, nut l5 bearing 10 against the outer or rearward face of disk It and nut l6 constituting a jam nut, Shaft II is provided, in its forward end, with a recess II which accommodates the rearward portion of stud l4 and the nuts thereon. The axis of shaft II, and consequently the common axis of rotation of disk l0 and horn I3, is indicated by the line :r-z. A lug i8 formedintegrally with horn l3, fits into a corresponding recess IS in disk l0, assuring that the horn is retained in proper rela- 2 tion to the disk, for a purpose which will appear presently,

A ring member is disposed at the forward face of disk ill, about horn l3, and is clamped between the disk and a circumferential flange 2| projecting from the horn. Ring member 20 is provided, in its outer face, with an inner annular groove 22 concentric with horn l3, and 'an outer annular groove 23 eccentric 'to groove 22 and merging into the' latter at. its lower portion, as so will be clear from Figures 1 and 2. A pin 24, secured-in "ring member2ll, extends into a corresponding recess in disk Ill and is effective for preventing turning of ring member 20 relative to disk 10 and horn II. The axis of groove 23, indicated by the line y-'y, is disposed above the axis of rotation :c-a: of disk I0 and the parts carried thereby, as will .be clear from Figure 2.

Groove 23 islintended for reception of one end 'of a blank to be formed into a'T, as will be de- '4;

scribed presently. The horn I3 is curved and extends radially of disk Ill toward the portion of groove 23 most remote from the axis :c-s-z. The upper end of the horn is flat and is provided with acentrai tapered recess of squared cross-section which receives a correspondingly shaped shank 20 .of a disk 21, having a flat'inner face which seats upon the flat outer end mi horn II. The outer face 210 of disk 21 is rounded concentrically with axis 11-11, con'formably to the curvature so of the inner .face ofthe blank, above referred to,

and is provided with a central outwardly projectin'g stud 28'. Disk 21 cooperates with a clamping member 29 pivoted, at", uponthe forward end of a pressure lever 3| rockably mounted, a short '55 distance from'its inner end, upon a pin 32 extending between two ears 33 projecting from the upon screw 3t, provides means for securing the latter in adjustment.

The disk I 0 and associated parts cooperate with a roller 38, mounted for rotation upon a shaft 39 appropriately mounted in a supporting structure 40, the latter, being capable of movement perpendicular to axis a::z: and also having movement parallel with that axis.

In practicing the method of my invention, a cylindrical blank b, of tubular form and of wrought metal or other suitable material, is disposed with one end fitting into groove 23, the latter corresponding in diameter to the blank, as will be obvious. When the blank is disposed in this manner, disk 21 is at the midportion of the side of the blank more remote from axis m--.r, and stud 28 fits in a corresponding opening 0 provided through that side of the blank, as shown in Figure 2, this stud being slightly less in extent radially of the blank than the wall thickness of' the latter. When the blank I; has been thus disposed, screw 34 is threaded through arm 3|, forcing member 29 towarddisk 21, the latter and member 29 then cooperating to clamp between them alimited area of the wall of the blank b, it being noted that the clamping face of member '29 is concentric with the outer surface of disc 21, as shown in Figure 1. The blank 2) is thus secured to'disk l0 and horn l3,for rotation therewith about, axis :c-z, extending through the blank eccentric thereto and nearer the lower side thereof, as viewed 'in Figure 2, than the upper side, at which the forward end of horn i3 is disposed, stud 28 effectively preventing turning of the blank relative to the disk. i; After the blank has thus, been mounted upon the disk 10 and horn l3, it is rotated, by rotating shaft It and, during such rotation, is rolled down, at its --end portion, to reduced diameter and to concentricity with axis :r-x. Referring to Figure 3, thisrolling down of the end portion of the blank is accomplished by moving the roller 38 inward of the blank radially thereof, as indicated by the arrow a, while also moving this roller lengthwise of the blank,- as indicated by the arrow 0.

' be obvious, the rolling of the end portion of-the These movements m'ay be imparted to the roller in any suitable known mannet. The movement of roller 33 radially inward of the blank is such in extent thatthe end porfirm of the blankis rolled to an interior radius equal-to the distance between the axis and the nearer side of .the interior of the original blank. The horn "and disk 21 restrain the midportion of the blank, at the opposite side thereof, from inward radial movement, as will blank starting a short distance-outward beyond disk 21, as shown in-Figure 3. After one endof the blank has thus been rolled down, the blank is removed from horn l3 and replaced thereon in reversed positionQwith the rolled down' end fitting into the groove 22, ofthe member 23, con

centric with axis-H, and the clamping member 29 is again moved into cooperating relation to the disk 21. The other-end of the blank is then rolled down to reduced diameter and 'concentric'ity with the H; as in Figure 4. In that manner I provide a partially opening n? defined by ring 43. The latter seats in the recessed upper face of a supporting block 1 44, carried by uprights II, this block having an opening 46 of greater diameter than and concentric with neck opening 12'' of ring 48. A pull rod 41, inserted through opening 0 of protuberance nk-has a former 4.8, of approximately in- 1| verted frustoconical shape, or other suitable shape, secured thereon within the partially formed T, by means of a nut 49 or in any other appropriate manner.

The maximum diameter of former 48 corre- 2 sponds to the interior diameter of the neck of the desired T, the diameter of neck openingn of ring 43 corresponding to the exterior diameter of neck of the desired T, as will be understood, and pull rod 41 is disposed coaxially with 2 neck opening n? of ring 43. With the parts disposed as in Figure 6, pull rod 41 is moved downward, as indicated by the arrow 1) in Figure 7, in any suitablefmanner. In the downward movement of rod 41 former it expands the protubera shoe n so' as to form it,'between former l8 and the surrounding wall of opening n -of ring 43, into the cylindrical neck n. That completes the T which isshown, in its completed form, in central lengthwise section in Figure 8.

When required, the. blank from which the 1- is pro'diiced maybe heated to proper working temperature, preliminary to rolling down each end portion thereof. In cases where the material of the blank isof such character as to ren- 4 der practicable rolling. down of the end portions without heating theblank, the blank may be rolled cold. During the rolling operation, the roller. 33' serves to'disp'lace and redistribute the metal of the end portion of the blank in such 4 manner that the arms-d of the finished blank are of uniform wan thickness, as shown in' Figure 5 and aswill be clear from Figures 6 to 8, inclusive. Due ,to the reduction in diameter of the fend-portions of the original blank-,the 5 complet'ed-T may, in certain cases, be of some,

what greater wall thickness, at the ends thereof, than theori'ginal blankj.;; Ordinarily, howev'e the increase; in wall thickness; of the ai-ms of the completed. not appreciable, and

- been illustrated, for ithatjreason.

preterm-1y,- the end-portions of the' original blank are reduced by mllib in" the manner above that is conducive to rapidreductiiin of the ends of the blank and to uniform diit ribution of the displaced-metal, as hasbeen contemplate, however, within the broaderlaspeetsjof my invention, reducing the end portionsiof um blankingany other suitable manner, it being'inotedthfia'an'important feature as; the method of invention is the reduction .in bathe eiid oi-tines of the blank in suchflmarinei' the rediioe dend portions are concentric withan axiseecentric to the original blank, me. -1ntei-1er radius ofu e reduced end portions 'beidg equal to the distance between such axis and the nearer side of the original blank, the neck of the T being formed from the protuberance remaining at the opposite side of the blank, whereby extensive reform- I has not one side of the blank than'the opposite side thereof, rolling downthe end portions of the blank to concentricity with such eccentric axis and to an interior radius equal to the distance between said axis and said nearer side of the blank, by a roller moving radially inward of said blank with relative movement between said roller and blank lengthwise of the latter, while restraining the I midportion of the opposite side of said blank against inward movement, thereby producing-a partially formed T having a body with arms of less diameter than the original blank and a protuberance at'the opposite side of the body between the arms, and completing the T by forming the protuberance into a neck.

2. The method of making a T from a tubular cylindrical metal blank, which comprises securing the blank over a member disposed at the midportion of one side of the blank effective for restraining radial inward movement of a corresponding area of the wall of the blank, rotating the blank about an eccentric axis extending therethrough and nearer the opposite side than said one side of the blank, rolling down the end portions of the blank beyond said area to' concentricity with such eccentric axis and to an interior radius equal to the distance between said axis and said nearer side of the blank, by a roller moving radially inward of said blank with relative movement between said roller and blank lengthwise of the latter, thereby producing a partially. formed T latter, thereby producing a partially formed T having a body with arms of less diameter than the original blank and a protuberance at the opposite side of the body between the arms, and completing the T by'forming the protuberance into a neck.

3. The method of making a T from a tubular cylindrical metal blank, which comprises restraining against inwm'd radial movement a lim-' ited area of the wall of the blank at the mldportion of one side thereof, rotating the blank about aneccentric axis extending therethrough and nearer the opposite side than said one side of the blank, rolling down the end portions of the blank beyond said area to concentrieity with such eccentric axis and to an interior radius equal to the distance between said axis and said nearer side of the blank, by a roller moving radially in,- ward of said blank with relative movement between said roller and blank lengthwise of the having a body with arms of less diameter than V the original blank and a protuberance at the opposite side of the body between the arms, and completmg the T by forming the protuberance into a neck.

4.- The method of making a T from a tubular cylindrical metal blank, which comprises retrlcity with an eccentric axis extending therethrough nearer the opposite side than said one side thereof and to an interior radius equal to the distance between such axis and the nearer side theretoof the original blank, thereby producing a partially formed T having a body with arms of less diameter than the original blank and a protuberance at the opposite side of the body between the arms, and completing the T by forming the protuberance into a neck.

5. The method of making a T from a tubular cylindrical metal blank, which comprises restraining against inward radial movement 2. limited area of thewall of the blank at the midportion of one side thereof, rolling down the end portions of the blank beyond said area to reduced diameter and concentricity with an axis eccentric to the "blank extending therethrough nearer. the opposite side thereof than said one side, thereby producing a partially formed T havend to said member coaxially therewith extend-' ing into the blank and'having its other end at the midportion of the opposite side of the blank and provided with a stud fitting in a corresponding opening in the blank wall, rotating said member and blank and rolling down one end portion of the blank to reduced diameter and concentricity with the axis of rotation of said member,

reversing the blank and rolling down the other end portion thereof similarly to said one endpor-' tion, thereby producing a partially formed T having a body with arms of less diameter thanthe original blank and a protuberance at the opposite side of the body between the arms, and completing the T by forming the protuberance into a neck.

'7. The method of making a. 'r from a tubular cylindrical metal blank, which comprises'mount-' 'midportion of the opposite side of. the blank and provided with a stud fitting in a correspondingopening in the blank wall, clamping a. limited area of said opposite wall between said other end of said horn and a cooperating exterior clamping member carried by said rotatable member, rotating said latter member and blank androlling down one end portion of the blank to reduced diameter and concentricitywith the axis of rotation of said rotatable member, reversing the blank and rolling down the other end portion thereof similarly to said one end portion, thereby producing a partially formed T having a body with arms of less diameter than the original blank and a protuberance at the opposite side of the body between the arms, and completing the T by v forming the protuberance into a neck.

JAMES HALL TAYLOR. 

